Wayne County Life

Fly your kite or learn to build a kite. Watch demonstrations of acrobatic and large kites. There will be two hot air balloons for tethered flights ($5 for kids, $10 for adults) scenic flights around Wayne County, weather permitting will be available from 4 PM until dusk (cost $200 per person).

Here is one little known fact about kiting: Over a century and a half ago, the mighty Niagara Falls, once known only to the local Native Americans, was being transformed. A bridge spanning the turbulent gorge was envisioned. The combined commission of the U.S. and Canada knew very little about bridge building. They did not even know if spanning a gorge 800 feet wide and 200 feet deep was practical.

To stretch a line or wire across the gorge, local ironworker, Theodore G. Hulett suggested offering a cash prize to the first boy who could fly his kite to the opposite bank. The first to succeed in spanning the gorge with his kite, named the ‘Union’, was fifteen-year-old American, Homan Walsh. Using this technique, the engineers built two temporary, fifty-foot wooden towers facing each other across the gorge. There was 1,200-foot of cable that passed over and was anchored to the towers using an iron basket to bring materials back and forth between the two towers.

The service bridge was completed in July 1848. The bridge that was built with the aid of a kite was officially opened to the public on 1 August 1848.

All because of a kite!

Food, fun and more will be available. Can’t wait to see you there! Contact the Village of Palmyra, 315-597-4849 with any questions.